The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:07 am EDT (06:07 UTC)

Buffalo Niagara International to Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International BUF → AZO

304 nautical miles (350 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 264°, about 275° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:38 am EDT (08:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BUF is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 3 knots; AZO is marginal VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 4 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 1 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words

Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of

  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 137 nm of the route.

A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from BUF.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • urgent B39M at 35,000 ft, 20 nm south, 11:15 pm EDT (03:15 UTC): remarks: no inj/dmg zob. 69 nm along the route, 20 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DKK UUA /OV DKK280040/TM 0315/FL350/TP B39M/TB MTN WVE ACTN +/-5KTS/RM NO INJ/DMG ZOB
    Report
    an urgent report filed through DKK
    Where
    40 nm west (280°) of DKK
    Time
    03:15 UTC
    Height
    at 35,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B39M
    Turbulence
    mountain wve actn a 5-knot loss of airspeed
    Remarks
    no inj/dmg zob
  • A333 descending, 18 nm south, 1:44 am EDT (05:44 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 206 nm along the route, 18 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0544/FLDURD/TP A333/SK TOPS 025
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    05:44 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A333
    Sky
    tops 2,500 ft
  • B739 descending, 18 nm south, 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 206 nm along the route, 18 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0454/FLDURD/TP B739/SK BASES 011
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    04:54 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    B739
    Sky
    bases 1,100 ft
  • A320 descending, 18 nm south, 11:27 pm EDT (03:27 UTC): overcast above 1,400 ft. 206 nm along the route, 18 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0327/FLDURD/TP A320/SK 014 OVC
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    03:27 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    at 1,400 ft overcast

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed

The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 3 forecast points nearest it (BUF, CLE, MKG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft340° at 10 kt+3 kt117 kt2 h 36 min4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC)
6,500 ft360° at 14 kt−1 kt11 °C121 kt2 h 31 min4:38 am EDT (08:38 UTC)
8,500 ft350° at 13 kt+1 kt9 °C119 kt2 h 33 min4:40 am EDT (08:40 UTC)
10,500 ft340° at 14 kt+2 kt5 °C118 kt2 h 35 min4:42 am EDT (08:42 UTC)
12,500 ft340° at 15 kt+3 kt2 °C117 kt2 h 36 min4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC)
14,500 ft340° at 19 kt+5 kt-2 °C115 kt2 h 39 min4:46 am EDT (08:46 UTC)
16,500 ft330° at 23 kt+8 kt-7 °C112 kt2 h 43 min4:50 am EDT (08:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180330° at 26 kt+10 kt-10 °C110 kt2 h 46 min4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240320° at 34 kt+16 kt-21 °C104 kt2 h 55 min5:02 am EDT (09:02 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 45 kt+16 kt-37 °C104 kt2 h 55 min5:02 am EDT (09:02 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340320° at 50 kt+25 kt-44 °C95 kt3 h 12 min5:19 am EDT (09:19 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390320° at 53 kt+27 kt-50 °C93 kt3 h 16 min5:23 am EDT (09:23 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.

The forecast points as issued
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
BUFused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line320/10010/16 10°360/10 6°340/13 2°330/22 -11°300/25 -23°320/31 -38°300/29 -44°280/36 -50°
CLEused from 98 nm out; 79 nm from the line340/7010/16 13°350/18 8°350/20 3°340/31 -10°340/46 -21°340/54 -37°330/62 -44°340/65 -49°
MKGused from 245 nm out; 81 nm from the line260/22290/16 15°300/11 10°290/5 3°300/26 -9°300/32 -20°320/48 -36°320/61 -45°310/74 -53°

The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
BUF Buffalo, NY departure VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 12,000 feet, a broken layer at 14,000 feet from the south (170°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 14,000 ft 726 ft 1:54 am EDT (05:54 UTC)
CYSN St Catharines, 20 nm out, 17 nm north of the line VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,000 feet from the east (080°) at 6 knots 15 mi 5,000 ft 321 ft 01:00 UTC
CYQS St Thomas, 108 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line no report just now 776 ft
PHN Port Huron, MI 167 nm out, 19 nm north of the line marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 1,100 ft 650 ft 05:55 UTC
DET Detroit, MI 187 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet from the west (280°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 1,100 ft 624 ft 05:53 UTC
JXN Jackson, MI 255 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower low IFR Weather: fog from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots 0.5 mi none 1,000 ft 05:56 UTC
RMY Marshall, MI 275 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line VFR Weather: mist from the south (190°) at 3 knots 6 mi none 941 ft 05:55 UTC
AZO Kalamazoo, MI destination marginal VFR Weather: mist from the south (170°) at 4 knots 5 mi none 873 ft 1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,000 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At AZO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:38 am EDT (08:38 UTC)

Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies marginal VFR

The whole forecast for AZO
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies
  • From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
The forecast for BUF, the departure
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 2,000 feet
  • From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
  • From Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 12,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at AZO 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm EDT (23:33 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at AZO is before sunrise there (7:51 am EDT (11:51 UTC)).

Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.

Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads

Radar now, the Northeast
Radar now, the Northeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Buffalo Niagara International, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International.